FREEPORT — It’s a long way from Hawaii to Freeport, both in distance and in lifestyle.

But twins Sophie and Sammy Dammann didn’t take twins long to fit nicely onto the Pretzels swim team. And since their move here in February of 2012, they have grown into two of the leaders on a Freeport team that has back-to-back conference titles, and is off to a good start this season.

“It was a little strange at first,” Sammy said. “We were very lucky to live on an island for so long, and this is just so different.

“But the swim team gave us another family, and it’s helped us in a lot of ways.”

They moved to the mainland when their father left the Army for a new job, and came back to where their parents grew up: the Freeport area. Now they’re trying to help build a dynasty for the Pretzel girls in the pool.

With eight freshmen on the team, senior leadership has taken on an even more important role this season. Head coach Christy Evans insists both the Dammann sisters, as well as seniors Leigh Hartog and Emily Schierer and junior Lexie Joy, have taken that role on with ease.

“We’ve all got targets on our backs this year,” Evans said. “And everybody knows we’re in this together. This is a tight team.”

It’s a tough one, too, and the twins have both shown their toughness throughout. Sammy is currently walking around school in a walking boot to help treat a stress fracture in her leg. But, insists Evans, it hasn’t held her back much in the pool, and she’s still on pace to be one of the toughest to beat in any event she swims.

“There’s no doubt about it, both girls are really tough,” Evans said. “Sammy’s been in pain, but she doesn’t miss anything. Sophie battles through anything, too, They’re very competitive girls, but not in a negative way. They push each other, but are always supporting everybody, too.”

They both swim four varsity events every meet, and while leading the Pretzels to wins in their first seven head-to-head contests of the season, they rarely lose.

“I was unaware of how competitive this conference is. Everyone is always so focused,” Sophie said. “And this year, it’s even more intense, and everybody is so driven. I think this year Sammy and I are right there with everybody when it comes to being motivated.”

Sophie switched to the 500 freestyle distance event for the latter portion of the season last year, and it paid off with a state-meet berth. Sammy, who won the NIC-10 title in the 500 freesytle last year, did the backstroke and butterfly at sectionals, falling just short of a state berth in both events.

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“We really feel like a team this year, and we really want to get another conference title, together,” Sophie said. “We’re not going into anything thinking ‘Oh, we got this.’ We go into every meet like it’s the biggest, and we give it everything we have and then see what happens.”

What’s happened so far, since the Dammann sisters left Hawaii and joined the Pretzels, is a whole lot of winning.

FREEPORT — With her first child on the way, Christy Evans stepped down from her post as the head coach of the Freeport Aquatic Swim Team, handing it over to former Pretzel state-qualifier Mike Regan.

Regan, who took over this week, was a member of the Freeport High School swim team from 2003-07, and qualified for state three times. He returned two years ago to assist with the Freeport boys team under since-retired Mike Pisula and has been a youth swim assistant coach the past two years as well.

“It’s such a great program. I’m just looking forward to being involved and helping it expand,” Regan said. “It’s a great family-oriented program here, and everybody is really excited to get it all going.”

There was a tryout earlier this week, but interested swimmers can show up at the Carl Sandburg Middle School pool on Monday-Friday from 4:30-5:30 p.m. or at the Freeport Junior High School pool on Monday-Friday from 6-8 p.m. to talk to Regan and his staff.